As another year of Pygmalion Music Festival approaches, we are always thrilled to have the perk of getting to exclusively release the festival schedule. Once again, as Pygmalion tends to be each time around, the schedule is a doozy. The festival is similar to last year in several ways, while having some new and improved portions as well.
The festival will feature two incredible outdoor shows as it did last year: one on Friday night in Downtown Urbana with the stellar Kurt Vile and Dawes, and Saturday night’s bash headlined by Major Lazer outside of the Highdive, complete with an indoor after-party with Rockie Fresh. A couple of new/revived features: Krannert Center will host The Head and the Heart, Daughter and Damien Jurado to kick off the festival (first festival shows in Krannert since 2010), and shows return to the IMC with a full-fledged punk show headlined by the raucous post-punk outfit METZ. Also, the wonderful Velvet Elvis is joining the mix, but you’ll have to figure that location out for yourself. Sadly, the Channing-Murray and Red Herring aren’t featured this year, but we’re lucky to have the Art Theater back on the map with Perfume Genius and Jenny Hval.
In addition — Pygmalion Lit Fest is going down as well, which you’ll be able to see in the schedule below when readings are happening within the festival’s music schedule. This inaugural event will be happening in several venues that are included with Pygmalion shows, and the readings are free of charge. Buvon’s is the only exception as far as being included in the music portion of things, but is still very much worthy of inclusion for the Lit Fest.
Don’t forget about the Made Fest as well. That’s another addition to the festival’s weekend that will take place on Saturday, September 28 in Downtown Champaign on Market Street. The festival is a one-day, curated marketplace featuring handmade and vintage sellers.
Enough of me explaining the schedule; here it is, folks. You can get a PDF version here as well. Get your festival passes, or single-show tickets listed beneath the shows where it applies. We’ll see you in September.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
KRANNERT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
7:30 p.m. — 8:00 p.m.: Damien Jurado
8:15 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.: Daughter
9:30 p.m. — 11:00 p.m.: The Head and The Heart
THE CANOPY CLUB
[TICKETS]
9:30 p.m. — 10:00 p.m.: Larry and His Flask
10:30 p.m. — 11:00 p.m.: The Dirty Feathers
11:30 p.m. — 12:15 a.m.: Murder By Death
12:45 a.m. — 2:00 a.m.: Warpaint
KRANNERT ART MUSEUM
8:15 p.m.— 8:45 p.m.: Emily Otnes
9:15 p.m. — 9:45 p.m.: The 92s
10:15 p.m. — 10:45 p.m.: Count This Penny
11:15 p.m. — 12:00 a.m.: Bones, Jugs N’ Harmony
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
DOWNTOWN URBANA — OUTDOOR STAGE
[TICKETS]
7:30 p.m. — 8:00 p.m.: Jonathan Rice
8:30 p.m. — 9:30 p.m.: Dawes
10:00 p.m. — 11:15 p.m.: Kurt Vile and the Violators
BUVON’S WINE BAR
LIT FEST: 8:00 p.m.
Kyle Minor
Roxane Gay
Matt Bell
CAFETERIA AND COMPANY
LIT FEST: 6:00 p.m.
Lania Knight
Chad Simpson
Bayo Ojikutu
Kathleen Rooney
James Greer
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTER
[TICKETS]
9:15 p.m. — 9:45 p.m.: The Stars, They Beckon
10:15 p.m. — 10:45 p.m.: Hank.
11:15 p.m. — 12:15 a.m.: METZ
THE CANOPY CLUB
[TICKETS]
10:30 p.m. — 11:00 p.m.: Common Loon
11:15 p.m. — 12:00 a.m.: Foxygen
12:30 p.m. — 2:00 a.m.: The Breeders
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
THE HIGHDIVE — OUTDOOR STAGE 1
[TICKETS FOR OUTDOOR SHOW — INCLUDES STAGES 1 AND 2]
1:30 p.m. — 2:00 p.m.: Young Empires
2:50 p.m. — 3:20 p.m.: On An On
4:10 p.m. — 4:40 p.m.: Little Green Cars
5:30 p.m. — 6:00 p.m.: Caveman
7:00 p.m. — 7:40 p.m.: Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons
8:40 p.m. — 9:20 p.m.: Youth Lagoon
10:30 p.m. — 12:00 a.m.: Major Lazer
THE HIGHDIVE — OUTDOOR STAGE 2
2:10 p.m. — 2:40 p.m.: Elsinore
3:30 p.m. — 4:00 p.m.: San Fermin
4:50 p.m. — 5:20 p.m.: Psychic Twin
6:10 p.m. — 6:50 p.m.: Bleached
7:50 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.: Kishi Bashi
9:30 p.m. — 10:15 p.m.: Dessa
THE HIGHDIVE — INDOOR
[TICKETS]
11:15 p.m. — 11:40 p.m.: AWTHNTKTS
11:45 p.m. — 12:30 p.m.: The Struggle
12:45 a.m. — 1:10 a.m.: Booty Trap
1:15 a.m. — 2:00 a.m.: Rockie Fresh
COWBOY MONKEY
11:00 p.m. — 11:30 p.m.: Coco Butter Kids
12:00 a.m. — 12:30 a.m.: That’s No Moon
1:00 a.m. — 2:00 a.m.: Sun Stereo
MIKE ‘N MOLLY’S
LIT FEST: 3:00 p.m. — 4:30 p.m.
Amelia Gray
Dan Chaon
6:00 p.m. — 6:30 p.m.: Anna Karenina / Anna Karina
7:00 p.m. — 7:30 p.m.: Wicked Walls
8:00 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.: Motes
9:00 p.m. — 9:30 p.m.: Shadows on a River
10:00 p.m. — 10:30 p.m.: Potty Mouth
11:00 p.m. — 11:30 p.m.: DCTV
12:00 a.m. — 12:30 a.m.: Stagnant Pools
1:00 a.m. — 1:45 a.m.: Saturday Looks Good To Me
MEMPHIS ON MAIN
5:00 p.m. — 5:45 p.m.: Justin Walter
6:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m.: Nat Baldwin
LIT FEST: 8:00 p.m. — 9:30 p.m.
Andre Perry
Jensen Beach
Elizabeth Ellen
Aaron Burch
Lindsay Hunter
12:15 a.m. — 1:00 a.m.: PHOX
1:15 a.m. — 2:00 a.m.: Grandkids
EXILE ON MAIN STREET RECORDS
12:00 p.m. — 12:30 p.m.: Betamax Babes
1:00 p.m. — 1:30 p.m.: Moonwish
2:00 p.m. — 2:30 p.m.: Mille Nomi
3:00 p.m. — 3:30 p.m.: Dino Bravo
4:00 p.m. — 4:30 p.m.: The Fights
5:00 p.m. — 5:30 p.m.: Barrowe
6:00 p.m. — 6:30 p.m.: Finer Feelings
THE ART THEATER
[TICKETS]
12:00 a.m. — 12:45 a.m.: Jenny Hval
1:15 a.m. — 2:00 a.m: Perfume Genius
THE VELVET ELVIS
2:00 a.m. — 2:30 a.m.: Book Mobile!
3:00 a.m. — 3:30 a.m.: Withershins
4:00 a.m. — 4:30 a.m.: Take Care